by Linda Straker
- All approved activities for the next 2 weeks cancelled, beginning 13 December 2020
- Dozens of positive cases linked directly and indirectly to Sandals Resort
- Sandals to redirect incoming guests and evacuate those who are Covid-19 negative
- Government will not be adopting lockdown measures
The sudden spike in Covid-19 cases on the island has caused the Covid-19 approval committee for granting permission for mass gathering events to rescind all approved activities for the next 2 weeks, beginning 13 December 2020.
“We are asking for all social gatherings to cease at least for the next week or two.” Health Minister Nickolas Steele said in a news conference on Sunday, which was held to update the nation on the dozens of positive cases that are linked directly and indirectly to the Sandals Resort – one of the island’s all-inclusive properties – owned by Jamaican hotelier Gordon “Butch” Stewart.
“We have rescinded all permissions granted before the cluster, and these events will be re-evaluated before anything can go ahead,” Dr Bert Brathwaite said, as a guest on “Perspectives”, the Monday morning television programme.
“The positive cases include guests and employees, as well as their contacts. The discovery was made following proactive testing of employees and guests on Friday and Saturday, as part of the Ministry’s continuous testing of frontline staff in sectors directly related to tourism, travel and health,” said a news release that came from the Ministry of Health, hours before the news conference.
“Given the health emergency that this situation warrants, the Government of Grenada, through the Ministry of Health, has deployed all efforts, including personnel and resources, to address this grave threat to public health, safety, order and the maintenance of medical and other supplies and services essential to life in Grenada.” The news release disclosed that unprecedented, aggressive efforts have been taken to further contain this outbreak of Covid-19.
“The Sandals Resort has now been deemed to be a place of screening and assessment. Entire households related to the confirmed cases have also been quarantined, and contact tracers are actively working to source other potentially exposed people in other areas of public life and activity,” the release added.
However, Steele told journalists during the virtual news conference that Government has instructed the management of Sandals to redirect incoming guests, and evacuate those who are Covid-19 negative from the Grenada property.
“Sandals has been given instructions to immediately move all guests off the island, or redirect other incoming guests to other islands or to cancel their trip, so we can focus purely on our people,” said the Health Minister. He used the opportunity to disclose that a thorough investigation will be conducted to determine if there was a flaw or a breach of the existing health protocols for the operations of the hospitality industry.
The Health Minister said that Government will not be adopting lockdown measures as was done in March as a means of controlling and containing the spread of the virus. “We simply cannot close our borders. As a nation we recognise we do have to keep our borders open and put controls possible on this to protect our citizens here in Grenada,” he said.
“As a government, we will try to balance as best as possible, the balance between saving lives and livelihoods, but a balance must be found… Covid-19 is not going to give up easily, the battle is not lost, but the battle is not yet won,” said Steele as he called on citizens to cooperate with health authorities and contact tracing teams.
Grenada, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) statistics has 26 new active cases, including a 10-year-old child. The total number of Covid-19 positive cases to date is 69, with more expected to be added due to the dozens of individuals who are awaiting results.
Which is it? 7 days per the prime ministers speech, or 14 days here.
GRENADIANS WEAR YO MASKS AND SANITIZE PLEASE!! STOPPP SPENDING SO MUCH MONEYYYY!! AND SAVE IT PLEASE!! COVID 19 IS REAL AND IT IS A DANGEROUS VIRUS!!!!! IF YOU DONT WANT GOVERNMENT TO OPEN UP THEN SAVE YOUR MONEY SO THAT THEY WONT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT PAYING YOU!!!!!!!
The problem is not that government want money and money hungry! IT IS THE SELFISHNESS AND GREED OF OUR OWN PEOPLE. IF PEOPLE WOULD ONLY SAVE THEIR HARD EARNED MONEY THE GOVERNMENT WOULDNT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT FINDING DOLLARS TO PAY PEOPLE DEMADNING MORE MONEY. THAT IS THE PROBLEM. TOOOO MUCH EXCESSIVE SPENDING….. WE ARE NOT A RICH COUNTRY.
It’s not tourists coming into the country too. something that people are misleaded by. It is returning Grenadians nationals coming into the country that have been stuck trapped outside in COVID 19 and they want to come home! IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH TOURISM. SO DONT RUN YALL MOUTH ON GOVERNMENT ABOUT HOTELS AND FOREIGNERS BECAUSE IT IS YOUR SAME FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS THAT WANT TO COME IN OUR COUNTRY!!!!
listen listen listen!!!!! GRENDAINS YOU DECIDE IF YOU DONT WANT TO SEE THE NEXT PAYCHECK, PLATE OF FOOD ON YOUR TABLE OR SEE YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY COMING HOME!!!! OR RATHER TAKE THE RISKS TO OPEN UP COUNTRIES TO TOURISM AND REUTURNING NATIONALS AND GET YOUR PAYCHECK AND MONEY!!! if we go into another lockdown again and we completely shut out everyone Grenadians trapped outside will not be able to come back home and the tourism industry which brings millions into the country will not be able to restart again.
WE CANT DO NOTHING ABOUT IT!!! IN LIFE WE TAKE RISKS TO MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICES. IF OUR COUNTRY GOES INTO SHUT DOWN AGAIN WHERE WILL WE FIND MONEY TO PAY PEOPLE WHO EXCESSIVELY SPEND????? TRUST ME. WE NEED TO ALLOW TOURISM TO CONTINUE!
Sandals should be sued!
Now is not the time for negative thoughts. Focus and go back to see what needs to be done. First everyone entering the country should have a negative test result done. The problem is not in Grenada alone. Last week one woman came in without a covid test. How she managed this is unbelievable. Grenadians must wear mask. It’s the feeling that no deaths, no covid. Bus drivers don’t wear mask, police officers don’t wear masks, some health employees wear masks under their noses. This is happening here and abroad. Time to start charging locals for not obeying the rules. If you wear masks and sanitize you lower the risk of contracting the virus. Everyone dhould join the fight against this virus and stop pointing fingers.
Mr. Minister and ‘Prime Minister’ – it will server you well to see how New Zealand handled the Covid outbreaks. they have now been designated Covid free. this comes after a well managed second lockdown. so don’t play games with people – this is a matter of life and death.
if the oil and gas matter was handled properly, we would have had a Heritage Fund to help Grenada through these difficult times. we are not all fools!!!!
No one knows who is responsible for the spreading of this virus because non of the locals have been subject to any form of testing at present.
Most or all the testing were directed to the visitors entering the island.
The focus is wrong! The rules should apply to all. All inclusive hotel guest must quarantine in their rooms until given a negative PCR test by the MOH. The locals are always made to suffer when there are massive loop holes in the system for the elite.
All for the price of the tourist dollar. Hope it was worth it. All hail to the Republic of Sandals.